1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of pole supports which may be removably placed into an anchor fitting for use with a wood decking, concrete slab or foundation or for use in connection with ground support in a lawn or the like.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to support elongated poles, such as used to support an umbrella or a tennis netting or the like, by introducing the free end of the pole into a cement block having a central hole or by inserting the free end of the pole into a triangular support or, in the case of ground support, digging a hole into which the free end of the pole is introduced. In all of these prior situations, the pole anchor is either unsightly, inconvenient to move from place to place or requires digging so that the resultant pole is unsupported. Also, prior anchor installations leave an open hole into which debris, dirt or foreign matter can collect. Generally, in order to support the weight of a beach or lawn umbrella from such prior anchor installations, a substantial long support hole is necessary in order to receive and retain a substantial length of the pole. If a short hole is employed, substantial load forces are generated through the hole into the anchor installation so that pole breakage or even dislodgment of the pole from the installation results. For example, strong winds may capture an umbrella and cause the pole to break or to completely disconnect from the anchor installation.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a pole support which retains a sufficient length of the pole so as to transfer load forces into the installation and which will provide a detachable plug or cover for the opening into the pole receiving hole of the installation when the pole is not in use. Such an installation should be suitable for mounting on a wooden deck, a concrete slab or in the ground of a lawn.
Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are avoided by the present invention which provides a novel pole anchor installation which includes an anchor base having a central threaded open-ended hole. The anchor base may be mounted in a receptacle formed in the planking of a wood deck or may be installed in a concrete slab or cement block intended to be embedded in the ground. An elongated sleeve having an open-ended bore and having threads externally exposed at one end is employed that may be threadably fitted into the threaded opening of the anchor base so that the sleeve upwardly projects a sufficient distance in order to insertably receive within the bore a substantial portion or length of the pole intended to be supported. A feature of the invention resides in providing a threaded blockage plug adapted to be received in the threaded opening of the anchor base when the sleeve and pole are not employed. The plug prevents clogging of the threaded opening when the sleeve is not attached. Furthermore, in connection with installation of the anchor base in a wood foundation, angular threaded bores are provided in the anchor base into which mounting screws are placed in order to secure the anchor base in the wood foundation. However, when it is intended to support the anchor base in a cement block or on a concrete slab, reinforcing rods may be carried on the underside of the anchor base and are intended to be embedded within the cement of the block or slab. In either type of installation, the top surface of the support anchor base is flush with the surrounding surface of either the wood planking or the cement block or cement slab.
Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel pole anchor for decking, ground support, concrete or cement block or the like, which includes a base having an open-ended threaded opening for threadably receiving a mating end of an elongated sleeve. The sleeve includes an internal bore open at one end in order to insertably receive the free end of a pole. The opposite end of the pole may carry an umbrella, a netting or any other apparatus. When the pole and sleeve are not in use, a threaded plug is removably disposed in the threaded opening of the anchor base to prevent debris from collecting inside the threaded opening.
The anchor base may include threaded bores which are angularly exposed in order to insertably receive threaded fasteners for connection to wood beams, planking or slats. For installations in concrete or cement, such as a block or slab, reinforcing rods may be threadably connected into threaded openings on the underside of the anchor base so as to downwardly project into the cement or concrete. A concrete block may then be placed into a pre-dug hole in the ground to complete an installation in a lawn.
Therefore, it is among the primary objects of the present invention to provide a novel anchor installation for an elongated pole which would normally support an umbrella, tennis netting, badminton netting, or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel anchor support for an elongated pole that may be readily installed on a wooden porch, on a cement block installed in the dirt or that may be installed on a cement or concrete slab.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel support for an elongated pole which is intended to project upwardly to support an umbrella or the like whereby load forces encountered during use of the umbrella or the like will be suitably transferred and distributed from the pole through the anchoring installation into surrounding decking, cement slab or surrounding ground.